In this edition ...

• From the Desk of Mr. Baier
• MVWSD’s Proficiency Scores Hold Steady as Schools Work to Close Achievement Gaps
• Board Meeting Review: Enrollment, attendance, staffing and budgeting
• High Fives

From the Desk of Mr. Baier

Dear Families,

Lately, we’ve been talking a lot about the budget and what it means for the years ahead. These conversations are important—and they’re just the start of a larger effort to plan thoughtfully and keep our district healthy and effective. 

As noted in the Oct. 16 Board meeting (report below), district staff, the Trustees, and I are working together to set the stage for balanced budgets. Our goal is to carefully analyze expenditures and ensure we keep the programs that have the greatest impact on students. The choices we make now will shape our district’s financial health for years to come. We value your engagement and encourage you to tune in to Board meetings.

We have long anticipated that our main funding source—property tax revenue (assessed valuation, or AV)—would slow. While AV grew by an average of 8.79% annually over the past six years, this year’s growth has dropped to just 2.34%, largely due to commercial property reassessments.

At the same time, expenses continue to rise. State mandates, such as expanded Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and afterschool programs, come without added funding. Staffing costs, which make up 83% of our budget, are also increasing. Next year, we are forecasted to spend $9.7 million (7% of the budget) more than we’ll take in. This is not sustainable.

MVWSD currently has strong reserves, and the Board is committed to maintaining reserves of at least 17–20% in the third year of every budget cycle. This safeguard helps us manage future uncertainties. Still, with slower revenue growth and no immediate relief expected, we must act now to bring future expenditures in line with projected revenues.

More information, including answers to frequently asked questions are available on our budget webpage. These discussions aren’t easy, but they’re an important part of making sure MVWSD remains strong. Thank you for your commitment to our students and our schools.

Gratefully,
Jeffrey Baier
Superintendent

MVWSD’s Proficiency Scores Hold Steady as Schools Work to Close Achievement Gaps

MVWSD’s state test results show that student proficiency rates for grades 3-8 have held steady, even as schools continue focused efforts to close the achievement gaps that widened during the pandemic. Across California and Santa Clara County, overall scores remain largely flat.

According to the latest California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) results, MVWSD students continue to outperform county averages in both English language arts and mathematics. While the district’s overall results are steady, the data shows persistent achievement gaps for some groups, including Hispanic/Latino students, English learners, students with disabilities, and students from low-income families.

Key Findings

• MVWSD students continue to perform above the county and state averages in English and math.
• Elementary scores have declined slightly, while middle school scores are improving.
• Gaps persist between higher-performing students and those facing economic or language barriers.

Next Steps

MVWSD is focused on helping every student make meaningful growth, especially those most impacted by the pandemic. We will continue to offer focused instructional and whole-child strategies aimed at improving growth for all students:

• Strengthening classroom instruction: Teachers use the “MVWSD Way” for lesson planning and collaboration to ensure consistent, high-quality teaching in every classroom.
  
  
• Providing early and targeted intervention: Schools use data to identify students who need extra support in reading and math.
  
  
• Improving math instruction: A new math committee will be reviewing curriculum and deepening teacher knowledge to improve student understanding.
  
  
• Reducing absenteeism: Schools are taking proactive steps to ensure all students attend regularly and feel connected to their school community.

Schools used this year’s CAASPP along with district assessments to refine site plans and guide next steps. MVWSD will continue to adjust instruction, offer after-school support, and update its Strategic Plan to focus on practices that have the greatest impact on student success.

To review the data presentation, click on the Oct. 16 Board presentation here.
 

Enrollment and Attendance Update: District enrollment and attendance rates have been climbing steadily since the end of the pandemic. MVWSD has made significant progress in reducing chronic absenteeism. To read more, click here

Staffing Update: Staffing is strong overall, with a few key vacancies in hard to fill positions such as Special Education. MVWSD’s HR team will continue to work to hire the best staff for students and overcome challenges, such as high cost of living and staffing shortages. To read more, click here

Budget Report: Program Costs: As part of the District’s long-term financial planning, staff presented the costs of key programs and services. With assessed value (AV) growth revenue slowing and expenditures continuing to rise, MVWSD faces significant challenges in maintaining a balanced budget in the near future. We must act now to align future expenditures with projected revenues. To right-size our budget thoughtfully, it is important to understand the financial implications of programs.

The majority of the District’s budget, more than eighty percent, is invested in people. Over 80% of contracted services directly support classroom instruction. Small savings from supplies or operational adjustments alone will not meaningfully impact the overall budget.  Special Education represents a significant and growing cost driver in addition to transitional kindergarten and the expansion of needed programs, such as afterschool services. To read more, click here

Program Evaluation Services: Achievement gaps persist in some student subgroups. To ensure every student benefits, we need an objective, outside perspective to help us determine where our resources can have the greatest impact. Timely data about program efficacy is crucial in order for us to carefully analyze expenditures. After a competitive process, the Board authorized the Superintendent to work with a vendor, Orenda Education, for Program Assessment Services. To read more, click here

High Fives

Congratulations to the Graham Middle School and the Crittenden Middle School Girls Softball teams for advancing in the playoffs to the semifinals and the championship game, respectively! Your hard work, teamwork, and determination both on and off the field make us incredibly proud. A huge thank you to Coach Lau (GR) and Coach Ditty (GR), and Coach Garcia (CR) for their leadership, dedication, and countless hours supporting our student-athletes.

We would also like to congratulate the Graham and Crittenden Cross Country teams for their strong performances overall in the Valley League! A huge thanks to Coach Arce and Coach Huynh at Crittenden, and Coach O'Sullivan and Coach Carroll at Graham for guiding our athletes through this season. 

Crittenden:

• 6th Grade Girls: 4th & 8th place overall

Graham:

• 8th Grade Girls – 2nd overall
• 8th Grade Boys – 8th overall
• 7th Grade Boys – 3rd, 5th & 6th overall
• 7th Grade Girls – 10th overall
• 6th Grade Boys – 4th & 8th overall 

Great job to all our runners for their hard work!